STROUDSBURG, PA — Ross Roggio of Stroudsburg, PA, has been sentenced to 70 years in prison for committing heinous acts in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

This landmark sentence follows the second-ever conviction under the federal torture statute, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to court documents, Roggio, 55, arranged for Kurdish soldiers to abduct and detain the victim at a Kurdish military compound, where Roggio suffocated the victim with a belt, threatened to cut off one of his fingers, and directed the soldiers to repeatedly beat, choke, tase, and otherwise physically and mentally abuse the victim over 39 days.

The victim worked at a weapons factory Roggio was developing in Iraq. In connection with that project, Roggio exported firearms parts and tools without the required U.S. government approvals. He also illegally trained foreigners how to operate and manufacture the M4 automatic rifle.

The torture and arms export violations were investigated by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security.

“The sentence imposed by the court demonstrates the seriousness of Ross Roggio’s crimes and brings some measure of justice for his torture victim,” said U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Violence against the dignity and human rights of any victim cannot be tolerated and our office will continue to prioritize and pursue those who would do so in violation of federal law.”